Author Topic: The Trinity is Complete! (Sort of) (Read 1918 times)

Jman · « **on:** February 03, 2012, 09:55:24 AM »

So I got the Olympus 12mm f/2 today. I was really excited. Unfortunately, it has a decentered element. The left side is noticeably softer than the right, abnormally so for this lens. Like, the left 1/6th of the frame is soft at f/2 and takes until f/8 to sharpen up a bit. The right side is pretty sharp at f/2 and extremely sharp from f/2.8 and smaller. I called my local shop where I got it, and unfortunately, they don't have any more in stock. They are ordering another, but said it could take 2-3 weeks. So, I ordered another one from B&H, which should be here Wednesday. If that one's good, I'll just return my local copy, and if that one isn't good, I'll send it back to B&H and wait for my local store to get their new stock.

Bummer. The lens is pretty, though!

cosinaphile · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:31:07 AM »

that sucks , sean reid noticed the same thing with the rich grd4 having reviewed the almost identical grd3. in his review

im sure ill be reading about this

overflow · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:41:02 AM »

trinity =
Oly 12/2.0
Leica 25/1.4 (or Panny 20/1.7)
Oly 45/1.8

?

lisandra · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:46:20 AM »

return it!!! my friend ordered 2 with the same problem and the 3rd one was perfect. return it return it!!!

Jman · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:26:37 AM »

Oh, I definitely will be returning it...I'll have two to choose from, basically. Like I said, I have another one coming on Wednesday from B&H. If that one's good, I will return my current copy. If the B&H one is also not so great, I will wait until my local shop gets their shipment, which would be another week or so, and then I'd exchange.

I really hope I don't need to go through more, though. I hope the one from B&H is up to snuff. Stinks to hear that it took your friend 3 lenses to get a good one. I thought I was done with this 'good copy, bad copy' thing. I think it might be because of the rear focus group, which appears to be essentially spring-loaded...it's not solid and geared in a helicoid. It might make it focus faster, but if it's off a bit, it might be hard to tell. I hope after I get a solidly performing one, that it isn't succeptible to decentering after the fact as the lens gets used, or that would not be cool. Disappointing given the high cost (and high external build quality).

Jman · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:27:42 AM »

Quote from: overflow on February 03, 2012, 10:41:02 AM

trinity =
Oly 12/2.0
Leica 25/1.4 (or Panny 20/1.7)
Oly 45/1.8

?

Yup. (With Leica 25/1.4) The 25/1.4 and 45/1.8 are so incredibly good, and I've tried the 12/2 before and it looked great, but this copy is really bad on the left side.

Jman · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:57:49 AM »

So further testing is interesting. Maybe this is the case with decentered elements, but it seems like it's actually a tilted element, very possibly in the focus group. I started noticing that in some cases, the left side looked sharp.

If I focus using the center point on a perfectly flat field, the center and right sides are sharp, and the left side fades to softness about 1/4 of the image width on the left side. If I move the focus point to the right side, it is very similar to center. If, however, I focus setting the focus point on the left side, the left side becomes sharp, while the right side and center become soft.

Fun. Argh....this is frustrating. I know this lens can be great, but it does put a damper on things when you get a lens you've been looking forward to and it's defective.

Pete · « **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2012, 12:52:33 PM »

So the 75mm doesn't find a Seat here?

12/20 or 25/45/75

The Holy Gospel of Primes?

(4 Gospels)

ratobuhler · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2012, 01:31:07 PM »

Quote from: Jman on February 03, 2012, 09:55:24 AM

So I got the Olympus 12mm f/2 today. I was really excited. Unfortunately, it has a decentered element. The left side is noticeably softer than the right, abnormally so for this lens. Like, the left 1/6th of the frame is soft at f/2 and takes until f/8 to sharpen up a bit. The right side is pretty sharp at f/2 and extremely sharp from f/2.8 and smaller. I called my local shop where I got it, and unfortunately, they don't have any more in stock. They are ordering another, but said it could take 2-3 weeks. So, I ordered another one from B&H, which should be here Wednesday. If that one's good, I'll just return my local copy, and if that one isn't good, I'll send it back to B&H and wait for my local store to get their new stock.

Bummer. The lens is pretty, though!

Olympus is loosing control over it's quality. That is potentially more serious than all the other bad news we have heard about this company.

Jman · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2012, 02:21:17 PM »

I mean, every company has some duds go out into the wild. The question is how many. Sigma has a fairly big problem with a lot of their lenses having focus issues on PDAF bodies, but every manufacturer, even the big boys of Canon and Nikon have bad lenses make it out into the world. This is the first micro 4/3 lens that I've had that has had any obvious optical flaw. Heck, even Leica lenses and bodies need calibration often to maintain focus.

I have packed the lens away to await my second lens on Wednesday....hopefully that one's a winner. Now, if that one is also misaligned or something, I might just give up on the lens. I have the 7-14...this is for some extra speed at the wide end, and also to be able to carry a very wide lens when I'm traveling extra light...pop this and the 45 in my little belt pack and away I go.

voyager · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2012, 03:09:48 PM »

Man, that really sucks. Well, at least it'll be complete soon enough.

Jman · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2012, 12:24:05 PM »

New lens arrived today....and it's fantastic! (Also, I realized that the one I originally bought had to have been previously returned, as the lens cap plastic cover had been removed...it would be unlikely to be removed if it were just a lens they had taken out a few times for people to try.) New one is even across the frame, and sharpness looks to be right where it should be as far as initial tests go. I'll put it through its paces over the next week or so, but it looks to be a winner, at least up close (haven't had a chance to shoot it outside yet). This lens is REALLY sharp in the center even wide open. Edges are a little softer, but still good wide open...impressive for a lens this wide. The new one feels a little better too...focus ring snaps a little more positively, etc.

Some lens porn (excuse the less than stellar dynamic range...these were all taken with my iPhone as my GH2 is at home.)

The Trinity is Complete:

And something you don't get to see too often: Double 12s.

And the two boxes...can you guess which one had the skewed element?

voyager · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2012, 03:51:04 PM »

Now you just need the 75mm f/1.8.

capodave · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2012, 04:09:48 PM »

I have the 12, 20 and 45.
I was kind of missing my 17 for the smaller size and better af than the 20.
I was able to pick up one today from a member on the "other forum".
Now I'm happy.
Not sure about the focal length of the 75. I almst feel my 45 is long, but it's really good for portraits.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2012, 11:17:56 PM »

love the camera porn ,lol

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The Trinity is Complete! (Sort of)